This elegant old world pub in the heart of the city has soared to new heights since making food the feather in its cap.
Eagle Vaults in Friar Street in Worcester has certainly come up with a nest egg by transforming itself into a top food destination, offering some of the 'best breakfasts' in the city, including its celebrated full English.
This is that rarest of birds, a historic pub, quality restaurant and cafe rolled into one. Rarer still, it appears to be making a success of all three judging by the glowing feedback from customers.
The pub has a 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor (after 233 reviews) and is the top-rated 'nightlife' attraction (out of 31) in the city. So, it is succeeding on much more than a wing and prayer.
From the outside, the grade II listed pub has possibly the most strikingly beautiful façade of any in Worcester - more a resplendent peacock perhaps than an eagle, displaying to all in sundry its spectacular plumage. Its glazed tiles seem to shimmer, almost iridescently, in the early autumn sun, an effect only enhanced by the hanging baskets outside, created by the landlord himself.
The former house has roots dating back to the 1740s but owes much of its striking beauty to later alterations made around 1890 and exudes the exhilarating confidence of the Victorian age.
The striking lettering and large lanterns also seems to transport you back to another time when horse drawn carriages would have trundled along the city streets.
Another advantage is its location on what is often considered Worcester's most beautiful street and among the finest vistas in England, Friar Street.
There is plenty of outdoor seating (for 38 people) so Eagle Vaults is one of those pubs where you can watch the world go by.
The interior does not disappoint, having something of the quality of a drawing room in an English country house although it would have been nice to see real books rather than wallpaper creating that illusion.
Jasmin Kreft has been working at the pub for the last four years, becoming a manager last year, and believes food has been at the heart of the dramatic revival in the pub's fortunes.
Ms Kreft, 26, said: "Breakfast is really, really popular. I would say what makes the difference with our full English is the use of herbs - it's garlic-infused. Most of the time, people don't realise we do breakfasts from 9am in the morning but we do try to advertise it."
The meat is sourced locally from M&M meats in St Swithin's Street in Worcester, supporting another city business. Spanish guitar music creates a more relaxing morning mood, holding off on the classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s until noon.
The full English for £11.95 has homemade sausages, smoked bacon, crispy and herb potatoes, Portobello mushrooms, roasted tomatoes infused with garlic and thyme, Heinz baked beans and sourdough bread.
Other popular breakfast choices include a full vegetarian English breakfast, eggs benedict, egg royale, egg Florentine, a choice of various omelettes (cheese, mushroom, ham, chorizo and Mediterranean vegetables), eagle and avocado smash and 'eagle's way' egg and soldiers.
Breakfast is served from 9am and 3pm Tuesday to Saturday and on Sundays between 10am and 3pm with teas and coffees are available.
There is also a lunch menu (noon to 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday) and dinner menu (6pm to 9pm, Wednesday to Saturday) with a choice of pasta dishes, pizzas, steaks, salads, grilled salmon and pork and chicken gyros.
Regular customer Holly Evans-Fisher from Steam Coffee said: "I always come in here and grab my lunch. You get a really friendly service and the food is top notch and always cooked fresh.
"The eggs are the best in Worcester. The menu is always changing."
So, what do people like most about the pub?
Ms Kreft is emphatic. "People love the food. We do check on the tables and every time we check they say the food is lovely. Customers always give us good feedback. One of the main things that has changed is the food."
People can eat downstairs in the pub itself but an upstairs room provides a Mediterranean restaurant experience for diners.
At this year's Victorian Christmas Fayre, Eagle Vaults will have a stand by the pub serving mulled wine, spiced rum and even festive brownies in the shape of frosted pinecones made by Ms Kreft herself.
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The pub is open for food (reservations only) on Christmas Day between 11am and 5pm with main courses including turkey breast (apricot and chestnut stuffing), pigs in blankets, roasting gravy, cranberry sauce and red cabbage. Other mains include 14oz Aberdeen Angus sirloin steak, grilled seabass, butternut squash lasagne and lamb shank.
The pub is also open to the public on Boxing Day from noon until 5pm.
What about the beer? Guinness remains a popular choice and Ms Kreft has been told they do one of the finest pints in the city. Beers on offer are Eagle IPA, Brakspear's Oxford Gold, and Banks's Amber Bitter. There are also the usual favourites - Estrella, Inch's Cider, Carling, Birra Moretti, Thatcher's Gold and Camden Hells Lager.
Long may the Eagle Vaults continue her flight.
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